About Lee

For the past fifteen years, Lee Whalen has built a successful recording and performing career as a bassist on the music scene in Seattle and surrounding areas. Although originally trained as a jazz musician, throughout the years he has played in theater orchestras, rock bands, R&B and blues groups, straight-ahead jazz and fusion ensembles, country and country-western bands, Cajun/Zydeco bands, and even Klezmer and gypsy-jazz ensembles. Equally at home in front of an audience or on a recording session, Lee knows that each booking is an important job, not an ego trip: "My role is to make you sound great, whether it's in the studio or on stage".

When not working as a sideman, tracking in the studio, or playing more wedding dates than any one man should be allowed, Lee can be found onstage with his cover band The Acoustic Mayhem, the fantastically-funky Soulphonic, or getting wild and weird with Tom Waits tribute The Bleeding Romeos. They keep him moderately busy, but he's always on the lookout for interesting or lucrative projects to collaborate on as either a permanent sideman or as a substitute player. A double-threat musician, Lee lays down the low-end on both 5-string electric and upright bass. For those who are interested, his resume can be downloaded here.

The music

Known associates

Booking schedule

"Lee is truly a pleasure to work with. With an innate ability to improvise and quickly create bass lines that sound as if he worked on them for months, and a deep knowledge of Western music to draw from, you couldn’t find a better bass player for your project."

"What I most liked working with Lee was his attention to detail, dedication, and enjoyment of my music. When working with other musicians I've always faced issues around dedication and consistancy but I'd highly recommend Lee to anyone"

Leah Raissis, Seattle rock artist

"Without hesitation, I could not recommend Lee more strongly for work in the studio or on the stage."

"Lee is a fast-learner and a proficient, tasteful bassist with an ear for numerous different styles. Lee has helped us with countless live performances including our recent, sold-out show at the Tractor Tavern. I'd absolutely give Lee the highest recommendation without hesitation!"